


That Kind Of Man

by FortLauderTales



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: "The Girl Next Door", Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 05:21:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2097228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortLauderTales/pseuds/FortLauderTales
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"She’s off to go meteor shower-watching with some clown who may or may not be a real cop but makes really good sauce, and is nice to people he has no business being nice to, and who probably won’t bail on her because things are going well..."<br/>Angsty one-shot set after "The Girl Next Door"</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Kind Of Man

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Everyone! This was meant to be a quick snapshot of what was going on in Danny's head after being rejected, but Charlie and Richie barged in and that was that. It may seem OOC for Danny, but I figure maybe he's a little like me: Lots of words in the brain, but actually says 1/10th of what he thinks. Inspired by Graffiti6's song "This Man" and Gene Pitney's "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart".
> 
> No betas were harmed in the writing of this fic, and any consequent errors are entirely my own.
> 
> I own not a thing related to The Mindy Project. Not the characters, not the show, not even, like, a shirt (though I could probably work on that last one).
> 
> Lastly, I started reading fanfic to keep from going insane during this hiatus, and I'm hooked. I started having "ideas", and I started writing. This fandom, and especially everyone here at AO3 seems so kind and supportive that I couldn't talk myself out of posting (and believe me, I tried). I'm a total n00b to fanfic (and writing anything unrelated to accounting, really), but I hope you'll forgive and enjoy.

Well, that was real smooth.

But what did I expect? That she’d be sitting around, pining for me like…what’s her face? The one from that movie with the guy that she likes. Dammit. What’s his name? You know, you can’t reasonably expect a guy to remember every actor who ever swept Julia Roberts off her feet. Or Meg Ryan. Or Katherine…ummm…I wanna say Heidelberg? Wait, why can I remember the women’s names but not the men’s?

Ok, enough stalling. Get out of the hallway, Castellano. You really wanna be pacing outside Mindy’s door when Charlie shows up to pick her up? The best time to look like a weird, sweaty stalker is NOT when her date is a cop who already doesn’t like you.  MOVE YOUR FEET!

Standing outside my own building, lighting up a cigarette, NOT thinking about getting rejected by the woman I love because I couldn’t nut up and tell her that I love her... Yes, this is much better. I’m especially enjoying the part where I can hear her tell me all the ways I’m going to get sick and die from smoking. And-- Shit! So much for avoiding him. Smart move of the night #2: Stand outside a door that the guy you’re trying to avoid will inevitably enter. Sigh.

_“Hey, Danny.”_

“Hey Chaz.” Don’t punch him don’t punch him don’t punch him. Awkward man-nods. Ok, there you go. Awkwardness never got anyone arrested.

“I hear you’re taking Mindy out on an actual date, with astronomy and everything. Not bad. Kinda lame. I don’t mean that as an insult, just, I don’t know, an objective assessment. I hope you don’t mind.” That went so well. Good job, jackass. 

_“…Yeah. Well, you have a good night there, Danny.”_

“Yeah, thanks. Ok, uh…I guess you need to get to the door. Lemme get out of  your way. Hey, listen” No, no no no no, just let him go. Shit! I’m already saying it. “…Mindy’s a real special girl. She’s-- uh… Just… IhopeyouguyshaveagoodtimeandjustbenicetoheriswhatI’msaying.”

He’s stopping? Why’s he stopping? Oh, come on, man, don’t look at me like that. You think I’M the one who needs sympathy? Just wait until she gives up this “I’m SO into meteors now” front and gives you the “Why are we looking at falling rocks again? Here, I’ll just throw some gravel near your face really fast and we can go get hot dogs instead” speech.  Just get inside already.

_“It’s a date, not a wedding. I think I know where you’re coming from though, and I feel for ya, but I really don’t think you’re the guy to take advice from, where Mindy is concerned.”_

A pat on the shoulder and he’s gone.

How did he take all the air in Manhattan with him? Am I still standing? Because I feel like I should be DOING something. Maybe running after him, maybe making some smartass comment in reply, maybe just walking away, maybe at least not staring at the closed door like an idiot. Where does he get off saying something that should be said with a gloating smirk, and making it sound all kind and gentle? I can’t even be mad at him like this. What a dick!

Lesson learned, though. I’m definitely not sticking around to watch them go off together. If I hurry I can still make it back to my place before they take off. I do NOT need to run into them in the hallway.

I could also stand to not slam my door and call attention to myself, but that ship has sailed.

_“Danny! Where’ve ya been? Ramon and I picked up dinner. Are you eating with us? Or…are you and Mindy-“_

“What? No! Me and Mindy--  No, um.” Sigh. Should I lie? I should lie. Fuck it. Out it goes. “Mindy has a date so, looks like she’s not joining us tonight after all.”

“ _Oh. Uh, that’s a real shame. I thought…well, Ramon kinda  thought… See, WE thought…”_

_“_ Jesus, Richie! Less thinking, more spitting words out!” Let’s just get this overwith already. ~~I might have time to put my fist through a wall and go to the ER~~    ~~call in a bomb threat at Charlie’s station~~    ~~eat Morgan’s weight in pizza and cry myself to sleep~~  re-name the punching bag "Charlie" and get in some rounds before the gym closes.

“ _Ok, Danny, chill! Just, you and Mindy seemed so close last night, you know? And, with the way you kept looking at her...I thought things were back on. Or at least headed in that direction.”_

_“_ Yeah, well they’re not. She’s off to go meteor shower-watching with some clown who may or may not be a real cop but makes really good sauce, and is nice to people he has no business being nice to, and who probably won’t bail on her because things are going well. I mean, come on, who could really be happy in the long run with that…that nutjob-“

“ _Mindy?”_

“-yes, Mindy. I mean, she has the most annoying, juvenile tastes in EVERYTHING-“

“ _Yeah, she’s a lot of fun!”_

“-and she can’t sit still, ever! I mean, you saw! She kept losing at “Operation” because her hands never stop moving when she talks! I don’t know how she manages to stitch actual humans as well as she does, so calmly and precisely and… kinda tenderly… when in any other setting you’d swear her veins were full of Jolt Cola-”

“ _What the hell is “Jolt Cola?”_

“-And it’s like she can’t help laughing over the dumbest shit“

“ _Oh, you mean when she laughed at your lame jokes all night?”_

“Hey! Knock knocks are a cornerstone of American comedy! It’s not my fault that they’re so underappreciated in this age of cheap laughs, what with your Dale Cooks and what-have-yous.”

“ _DANE Cook, and nobody’s laughed at him on purpose since, like 2009.”_

“THAT WAS ONLY 5 YEARS AGO!” This little shit is laughing at me! Unbelievable! Oh, hell, and he’s got me laughing too. Man, I love this kid. Guy. Grown man. God, when did this happen? When did he become the calm, cool adult who steers the conversation to the inevitable and uncomfortable place it needs to go?

“ _Sit down for a sec, Danny. Can I tell you something? Without you jumping down my throat about it, preferably?”_

Seriously? He thinks he has to warn me about how to take some words? Like I’m not the man who—oh, right. The man who didn’t know what to do with “I change a little, and you change a lot”, or “I get to decide”...

Deep breath. Look him in the eye. That’s it.

“Yeah Rich. Shoot.”

“ _Look, Danny, I wasn’t sure what to make of things between you and Mindy the first time around, when you were in the hospital. It was just out of nowhere. You suddenly find the balls to make a move after God knows how long you’d been mooning over her—“_

“Come on, I wasn’t—“

_“--let me finish! But seriously, it was always obvious, at least to me. Even Ma was starting to make comments about ‘What’s with your brother not shutting up about this Mindy woman at work? I don’t even know if I’m supposed to like her or hate her, anymore! How can I be a supportive mother this way?’ And you finally DO something about it…but just as suddenly, it’s over? Did you ever really work out why? Because that bullshit about sparing her feelings and saving your friendship was exactly the kind of crap you always told me never to take from a guy, or say to a guy. You told me, ‘Don’t waste people’s time. If you’re both just having fun, then have fun. If you want more, step up and take it as far it makes sense to take it. If he wants more and you don’t, don’t string him along. Now get your dirty shoes off my sofa.’ And it didn’t seem to me like she wanted more and you didn’t, or like either of you was just messing around. Sure, it was kind of a by-the-seat of your pants thing, which I know makes you uncomfortable, but it’s a huge leap from uncomfortable to uninterested. I think what I mean is…I think you care about her. As in, maybe I should start working on a toast? And convincing Ramon that tuxes do not need the butt cut out of them? And maybe start working on Ma so that she’ll go easy on Mindy when they meet? Am I wrong here?”_

All I can do is shake my head no.

_“Good. You got scared and you bailed. Ok, not your finest moment, but don’t let that be **the** defining moment in your relationship with Mindy. And yeah, she’s on a date tonight, big deal. You have a connection with her, a history with her, and that’s no small thing. It’s not too late, Dan. It’s not too late to be that kind of man. The kind who doesn't give up. The kind who fucked up big but stepped up to make things right when it mattered. Dan? …Danny?”_

And my baby brother is holding me. And I’m letting him, because I’m too busy trying not to full-out cry in front of him to resist. And because it’s nice to have someone else say everything my heart has been trying to say but not say for two months.

“So what then, Richie? I tried to kiss her tonight. Did I tell you that? I tried to kiss her and she turned me down and went out with him anyway. So…what do I do? I’m kinda out of moves here.”

_“You haven’t made any moves yet, not really. You tried kissing her once and, boom, it was just that easy. You obviously hurt her, and you’re asking a lot if you expect that a kiss will be enough this time around. You owe her something bigger. Anyone can plant their lips on top of someone else’s, but the man I think you want to be? That kind of man owes her answers, and an apology, and a show of what he really feels. That kind of man doesn’t punk out because things get uncomfortable.”_

I think I’m still breathing, which is good, because I’m supposed to say something, I guess. But Richie is just sitting there, all unassuming patience. Does he even know how amazing he is? How can he be so smart but sweet, so open but steadfast, so kindhearted but firm… How could I raise him to be like this, and be left wishing I could be everything that he is?

Deep, unsteady breath, and I’m standing, not quite knowing what to do, but suddenly filled with purpose.

“Yeah” I’m saying, mostly to myself. “Yeah,” I say now to Richie. “Ok. Ok.” He’s smiling at me as if I’d recited the most eloquent monologue. My heart is so full. So full of love for Richie, for Mindy. So full of despair, but somehow also full of …hope. How does that even fucking work?

For the first time in weeks, no, months I know exactly what I want, even if I don’t know what I’m going to do about it just yet. I just know, I know that I’m that kind of man. I **am** that kind of man.

I look Richie in the eye and say, "I am that man.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there it is! I hope you enjoyed it. I would love to read thoughts/feedback/rants about the exorbitant price of the good ice cream. Sorry, that last one might just be me.


End file.
